Two Man Forecheck

Episode 0090: Matthews On The Shelf, Canadiens improved, Gallagher vs. Marchand, Torts Speaks His Mind, Panarin to Boston, Scoring Up, Twitter Polls and More!

It’s almost Halloween and there are some scary things happening in the NHL.  Auston Matthews is injured thanks to a hit from Jacob Trouba. Jonathan Quick is day to day again and it may be cause for concern in the Los Angeles front office.  The Bruins are playing without 3 of their top 6 defensemen and the Two Man Forecheck missed a week for the first time since its inception.

We start out with two Twitter Poll results and introduce the new poll:  Which Canadian team will make the playoffs.  For the results, Pastrnak was voted the quickest to 20 goals, and there wasn’t much to discuss regarding which division would have the same top 3 teams.

The Forecheckers wax poetic about the surprising play of the Montreal Canadiens.  Claude seems to have them playing somewhat inspired hockey. It could be the trade of their captain, or the absence of their best defenseman, but they have pulled together, and Price appears to be heading back to what is expected of him.

This conversation led us into a compare and contrast between Brendan Gallagher and Brad Marchand. Similar in size and playing style, how entertaining would it be to have both of these guys on the same line? Tell us what you think.

We at the Two Man Forecheck love John Tortorella.  A story appeared on CBSSports.com about John and his opinion on the niceties of the NHL. He is “sickened” by the lack of “hate” in the NHL.  Now we don’t believe he actually wants people to hate each other, but while on the ice there isn’t enough dislike for the opponent.  Opposing players smiling and laughing during games seems to upset Torts. We talked about this and the lack of rivals for more time than expected.

Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe tweeted out that if the Bruins wanted Panarin, the trade would have to start with McAvoy and DeBrusk.  Mike seems to think that this would be enough, along with an extension for Panarin, to get him to don the Black and Gold.  Chris isn’t so sure, believing that there would have to be a pick or prospect or both.  What do you believe?  Do you even want the “bread man” in Boston?

Finally, we talk goaltending around the league and goal scoring.  The latter appears to be going up, and the goalie stats seem to bear that out. Starters such as Rask don’t appear to be playing as well as their backups.  The numbers for Halak indicate that he should (and could) be starting in Boston, but he isn’t considered the number one at this time.  Could this be an issue where the coach is hurting his team by not making a choice.

Lots of opportunities to share your opinions with us.  Send us that feedback and enjoy the show!

Episode 0089: Expansion and Failed NHL Franchises, The Injury Blotter, Taylor Hall and the Hart, the Bruins Schedule, Twitter Polls and Halak vs. Rask...oh yeah...and More!

Here we are…Auston Matthews has taken the NHL by storm and all teams are in full swing.  Or are they?  The open questions how odd the schedule is that some teams have played 6 games while others have played 3.

William Nylander is still unsigned.  What are the Maple Leafs to do?  That was the last Twitter Poll and the results bear out that the Leafs should trade him for a defenseman.  Agreed we say, but it should have been done at the draft.  The Leafs are surviving without him and the longer it goes on, the less likely Nylander will be playing in Toronto.

Can Taylor Hall repeat as Hart Trophy winner?  His teammates believe so.  We at the Forecheck think that he is capable (in the top 5), but at this early juncture, there is a player in Toronto who may be taking that hardware home.

We break out the injury blotter and discuss how important some of these losses could be to their respective teams.  The likes of Quick, Luongo, Andersen and Price are just a smattering of players around the league who are listed as day to day or worse.

The Boston Bruins have been playing well since their opening night showing.  But how do we know how good they are?  Their schedule shows us that we won’t really know how good they are until mid-November.  They are currently playing teams that they should be beating and by the time they play in the Winter Classic, they should be in first place or contending for it.

We talk expansion, but not in the way that others might expect.  We want to know why people in general always want to start a new franchise where there has already been a failed one.  Places like Hartford, Atlanta, Kansas City and Quebec always come up in discussions.  Why can’t we talk about places such as Austin or Houston Texas or somewhere in Louisiana? Places where the local area could sustain a franchise.  What do you think?  Where would you like to see a franchise?

Our current Twitter Poll asks:  Who will be the first to 20 goals?  Choices: Auston Matthews, David Pastrnak or someone else in the NHL.  Log on to twitter and give us your choice!

Finally, as with last week, Chris rants about the goaltending situation in Boston.  With each passing week the choice gets harder to make and just maybe it isn’t as easy as Cassidy might believe.  Halak has better numbers and has played more minutes than Tuukka the starter.  Look up the numbers and let me know how you feel.  And finally…enjoy the show!!

Episode 0088: Nylander Still Not Signed, Simmonds Is Healthy Again, B's Netminder Situation, Toews Off To Smashing Start, Are Habs For Real, Twitter Polls And Much More!

Here we go!  The new season has begun and there are absolutely no ways of telling who is going to be the next Stanley Cup Champion…but we are going to try and figure it out here at the Two Man Forecheck.

We open the show talking about patterns present and non-existent in the stats and the haves and have nots and where they are in the standings.

This leads us into Toronto, where William Nylander still has not signed and reportedly is asking for 8.5 million dollars.  Should they sign him…trade him?  Let us know in this week’s Twitter Poll.  We also delve into the Maple Leafs team and its potential contract woes over the next couple seasons.

Wayne Simmonds is back and healthy this season, and his on-ice performance is backing that up. He is a free agent at the end of the season and would look good in a couple different uniforms…we attempt to figure out where they might be.

Speaking of Twitter Polls, last week’s question was about which team would have the hottest 10 game start.  41% posited Winnipeg, but as the number show so far, there is no hot team as of yet. But we are only two games into the season.

The Bruins have a problem some teams would envy…two starting netminders.  Tuukka is listed as the number one, and Cassidy has stated that he is 90% sure that he will start on Monday’s home opener, but with his history of slow starting, and the fact that Jaroslav Halak is coming off a shutout in Buffalo, should this be a question of who starts?  Halak has equivalent numbers to Rask over their careers and right now should Cassidy be riding the hot hand.  We say yes, but what do you think?  Let us know.

Jonathan Toews had himself a hat trick on Saturday night, and looks like a man on a mission in Chicago. With other stars on the team playing like stars, are the Blackhawks heading back to the playoffs?  Is Toews a rejuvenated man?  He appears to be so things are looking up for Chicago.

Are the Canadiens for real? They have a healthy Carey Price and some young, talented players who are champing at the bit to succeed.  The Habs thoroughly whipped the Penguins in Pittsburgh by capitalizing on the Pens mistakes as well as using their speed and quickness to outskate the former champions.

Finally, there are too many injuries to mention, but Crawford and Weber are due back late November to mid-December and Schneider is due back relatively soon after off season surgery. 

All this means that our favorite sport is back and going full speed ahead.  See you next week!  Enjoy the show!

Episode 0087: Theodore Signs, Twitter Poll Results, Goaltender Pad Rules, Top 4 Metro And Pacific Teams, Mike's Predictions, Bruins Moves And So Much More!

The NHL Season is less than 48 hours away.  We at the Forecheck are celebrating vividly with another rendition of the Two Man Forecheck.

Shea Theodore has come back to the fold, signing a 7 year, 36.4-million-dollar contract with Vegas.  Is he really happy with this deal or did he just want to play hockey?  Either way, the Golden Knights are thrilled he is back.

The Twitter Polls are out and completed.  Last week we asked which rookie would have the best second season.  With 63% of the vote, Kyle Conner was the winner, but are the results too one-sided? Should the percentages have been closer?  Second place Will Butcher would agree with that.

The latest poll asks which of the last 4 teams standing last year will get out to the hottest start?  The poll indicates that Winnipeg and Tampa Bay will, but the week isn’t over yet.

The discussion on goaltender pads took us in directions we had not anticipated.  Goal scoring, pugilism, the number of officials on the ice and many other factors entered the discussion before it was over.  We’d love some opinions on this topic.

The Forecheckers make their selections for top 4 in the Metropolitan and Pacific divisions, and as usual, Mike has to throw a monkey wrench into the works and kick up some dust with one of his picks.  Let us know what you think.

Finally, we talk about the Bruins and their final moves as well as some other prospects and young players that fill out the roster.

A full slate to be sure, let us know what you think and keep voting on those polls.

Enjoy the show!

Episode 0086: Top 4 Atlantic and Central Divisions, Twitter Poll Results, Nurse, Reinhart and Morrissey Sign, Melnyk Makes A Movie, Dotchin Waived, The Bruins Moves And Much More!

We are another week closer to the start of the new NHL season, which means another exciting episode of Two Man Forecheck.

In the open we talk about the Vancouver Canucks and how they will fare with the no longer present Sedin Twins.  The future may be bright, but how far out is that future?

The Top 4 discussion doesn’t bring us any surprises.  The Atlantic and Central divisions should stay the same at the top, with positions possibly switching for Nashville and Winnipeg.  The Atlantic is a 3-horse race.

Last week’s Twitter poll brought some interesting results as near 30% believe Shea Theodore will not sign before the beginning of the season.

There are only 3 remaining RFA’s that have not signed.  Nurse, Reinhart, Morrissey and Wood have all inked deals.

Eugene Melnyk, owner of the Ottawa Senators, put out a video at the beginning of the month explaining to fans how the team was going to rebuild.  Is he so far off?  At first thought, yes, but watch and give it more thought.  He seems to have a plan in mind.

We delve into the expansion and Seattle as the biggest possibility.  They only have one more hurdle to leap over for the NHL.

Owen Tippett of the Florida Panthers will be a rookie this upcoming season.  What are his chances of winning the Calder trophy?

Jake Dotchin, defenseman for the Lightning, has been unconditionally waived due to material breach of contract.  Has this move opened a Pandora’s box?  The NHLPA is getting involved so this story is not going away any time soon.

Finally, we talk Boston Bruins.  They have made a few roster moves, but nothing unexpected.  Also, they are 5 million under the cap at the moment.  For what is this money ear-marked?  The Forecheckers discuss.

Another week in the books, another week closer to the season.  Give us a listen and don’t forget to vote in this week’s poll on Twitter. Enjoy the show!

Episode 0085: Karlsson, Pacioretty and McQuaid On The Move, Crawford Skating, Suter Healthy, Zetterberg Done, Yzerman Steps Aside, Twitter Poll and More!

Training camps have started. Players have reported.  Games are being played.  Hockey has returned!

We begin with good news out of Chicago.  Corey Crawford is skating again.  There is no timetable, and he hasn’t been seen at any camps however he is moving again, and that has to be a good thing.  To temper that, Brent Seabrook and two other players are not at camp yet with injuries of their own.

More good news…Ryan Suter is 100% healthy.  The man who has led the league in average time on ice for the past three seasons is now feeling better.  Opponents of the Minnesota Wild had best look out.

On a sad note, Henrik Zetterberg has announced that his career is over.  His degenerative back issues are not getting any better and will keep him from continuing his Hall of Fame career.  How long will it be before the Wings hang his number in the rafters? We believe sooner rather than later. What does this mean for a team that is clearly rebuilding?

Another end of an era is taking place in Tampa Bay.  Steve Yzerman has stepped aside from his role as GM.  He has one more year on his contract with the organization, but he will serve as advisor to the new GM, his former advisor, Julien BriseBois.  The belief here is that Steve will be heading back to Detroit (his family is there, and he has stated that he will live there) to become the next GM of the Red Wings.  Nothing is official, and he isn’t saying anything beyond his role for the coming season, but how excited should Wings fans be that Captain Cutthroat may be coming home to roost?  It would be a huge move if this were to happen.

Players on the move…Max Pacioretty has been traded from Montreal to Vegas.  An intriguing deal to be sure, the Canadiens received Tomas Tatar, Nick Suzuki and a pick.  Vegas continues to stabilize the team.  Losing Neal in free agency left a hole now filled by Patches.

Erik Karlsson has been dealt to San Jose.  The bevy of players, prospects and picks make it seem like a lot in return, but Ottawa is clearly rebuilding and Karlsson was not going to be extended there.  Was this a good deal for the Senators?  Obviously, it improves the Sharks greatly, but did the Senators leave anything on the table?

We discuss last week’s Twitter poll…Seguin for Kane straight up.  Which team wins?  89% say that San Jose wins the deal, but we at the Forecheck aren’t so sure.  Kane being a more rounded player may do more for Dallas than Seguin does for the Sharks.  We also congratulate the 49% that said Karlsson would be traded before the season!

Finally, we talk about Adam McQuaid being dealt to the Rangers.  Was this a good deal for the Bruins?  They didn’t receive much in return but felt that they needed to move Adam due to the log jam at the defense position on the team.  We wish him much luck with his new organization.

Tell us how you feel about these moves, let us know what you think.  Don’t forget to vote in the latest Twitter poll and enjoy the show!

Episode 0084: Wheeler Extension, Schmidt Suspended, Twitter Poll Results, Quick/Varlamov, Jones/Talbot, Chara/Letang,Tyler Seguin, Ellis/Krug and More!

Rookie camps have started! The rookie games have begun in Buffalo! There are hockey highlights on your favorite networks!  Hockey is back!  Three weeks from now it will be official.  With all this in mind, the Forecheckers bring you another fun-filled episode to bridge the quickly closing gap to puck drop.

Blake Wheeler has signed a 5-year extension with Winnipeg.  The 41.25-million-dollar contract has an AAV of 8.25 million per year. It’s about time that he has been brought to the level of other top players in the league.  His importance and leadership are without question for the Jets and they will certainly benefit from having him around for another half century.

Nate Schmidt has been suspended for 20 games for violating the league’s performance enhancing drug policy. Present and former teammates have come out saying that this is not like Nate to behave like this. Representatives for Nate have said the amount found is like a pinch of salt in an Olympic-sized swimming pool. The team is even fighting on Nate’s side.  So why is this happening.  We believe that the league needs to start using science in a positive way and not just taking a zero-tolerance approach to every situation.  How do you feel about this?

Shea Theodore is still not signed, will the Nate Schmidt issue force Vegas’ hand?

Erik Karlsson is still a Senator.  The Two Man Forecheck Twitter poll asked when he will be traded.  Forty-nine percent believe it will be before the season.  Fourteen percent by U.S. Thanksgiving, 18% by the trade deadline, and 19% at some other time or not at all.  Does the Nate Schmidt issue have some effect on this deal happening with Vegas?  We feel he will be traded by the deadline, but it could be sooner.  What are your thoughts?

There are some players who are going to be hitting milestones this season.  We thought it would be fun to compare/contrast and figure out who would get there first.  We encourage everyone to let us know what you think!

Jonathan Quick (293) and Semyon Varlamov (193) are 7 wins away from their respective milestones. Who gets there first.  Chris says Quick, but Mike is not so ‘quick’ to agree.

Martin Jones and Cam Talbot both have 19 shutouts.  Who gets to 20 and 25 first.  Here we both seem to agree that Jones will get there.  Not due to goaltender talent, but due to the team around them.

Zdeno Chara (195) and Kris Letang (96) are close to the next hundred in goals scored.  Who get there first.  We seem to agree that it may just be Chara.  Letang has health issues and Chara is surprisingly more offensively gifted than people give him credit for being.

Tyler Seguin is 10 games away from 600.  He is offensively gifted.  He is in the last year of his contract.  Will he stay in Dallas or move on?  Some believe he will return to Boston.  Where will Tyler spend the next years of his NHL career?  It won’t be Boston.  Could it be New York or San Jose?

We touch on Bobby Lou. In researching all these numbers, we feel that he may just be a candidate for induction.  Is Bobby Lou Hall of Fame worthy?  Let us know.

Finally, we spend some time comparing Torey Krug and Ryan Ellis.  Both of these players are a few games away from 400.  The numbers and their importance to their respective teams make this a very intriguing comparison.  What happens if they were to swap teams? 

An action filled episode to be sure, let us know how you feel?  There are a lot of comparisons to delve into, so give us a listen and enjoy the show!

Episode 0083: Karlsson Trade, Last Week's Poll, Hanifin Signs, Krug Trolls Marchand, Increase Fines?, Buffalo Improved?, EA Rankings, Subban Comes Home, And Much More!

Hello all, It’s September! What’s that mean?  Hockey is on the horizon.  With only two weeks or less until rookie camps and captain’s practices getting ready to begin, our beloved sport is back.  So, with that in mind, the Two Man Forecheck is getting ready with another week of excitement.

Starting out, we tease this week’s poll question, when will Erik Karlsson be traded.  Be sure to let us know what you think.

We briefly break down last week’s question, where the results were to be expected but somewhat lopsided.  A full 91% of respondents believe that Vegas will finish 5 points or more below last season. The surprise comes from the fact that only two of the four teams even received votes, as the Predators received the other 9 percent.  Anaheim and Winnipeg received none.

Another strong defenseman has inked his deal.  Noah Hanifin signed a 6 year, almost 30-million-dollar contract with Calgary.  We aren’t sure what the issue was, but it would seem that Hanifin could have added a few more dollars to the deal and still been affordable to the Flames.  While too long to be a bridge deal, the contract could have been 35 or 36 million and still been a good one for the team and the player.

Torey Krug has trolled Brad Marchand on twitter while on a recent fishing trip where he compared a fish that he caught to the size of his teammate.  While Brad has still not responded, the fact that this team shares this kind of relationship outside of the locker room is very telling about the success of the Boston Bruins.  While here we also touched on the defensive corps of the Bruins, and the fact that they have 8 players signed to play defense for Boston this upcoming season. Are they preparing for the next expansion draft or are they expecting to be trading someone during this season?

There is an intriguing (for lack of a better word) article out there on Puck Prose bringing up the subject of increasing fines for repeat offenders.  The one thing this article seems to leave out is the fact that the CBA gets in the way of teams or the NHL doing this.  The last paragraph states that it should be discussed at the next session, however it has about as much chance of passing as salary rollbacks, maybe less.

We segway into Buffalo and the possibility of their being an improved team over last year and by just how much.  They certainly have more offensive punch, and the defense should see improvement with the addition of Dahlin, but the goaltending appears to be the biggest question mark here.  Hutton has never been the number one, and Ullmark is not ready to take the reins in net if last season is to be believed.  So, what are your feelings on this?  How much improved is Buffalo at this point?

The EA Sports rankings have come out…3 Bruins are in the mix.  The surprise is Marchand at number 35.  He is certainly higher than the 35^thbest player in the league, so why the low ranking?  And Hedman not being in the top 5?  So many questions…

Voynov still not cleared to return to the NHL, but do they want him back?  We discuss.

Jordan Subban has come home on a one-year deal with the Leafs.  This is his third opportunity, but is it his last?

Finally, the Islanders have teamed up with the Guide Dog Foundation to form the Puppy With A Purpose Foundation.  What a better way to close out the show. 

See everyone next week…enjoy the show!

Episode 0082: Worst Summer Contracts, Theodore Still Unsigned, Etem Is Back, Youth Hockey in Arizona, Rangers Playoffs, Cassidy on Chara and More!

Hello again!  Can you sense it?  The NHL season is fast approaching and soon we will have our beloved sport back for our enjoyment.  In the meantime, we at the Two Man Forecheck will keep you informed of the goings on around the league.

We start off with a frank discussion of the worst NHL contracts handed out this summer, a question posited by Mike on Facebook.  We had some interesting responses, the most intriguing being Brady Tkachuk signing with Ottawa.  Mike believes it may just be Dylan Larkin’s contract while Chris feels it is another Red Wings deal, the one with Mike Green, that may be worse.  Either way, both teams are going to experience trouble this upcoming season and these signings are not going to be the most helpful.

On a sad note, Bill Foley, the owner of the Golden Knights, has lost his son at the age of 31.  Our heartfelt condolences go out to the Foley family.

Vegas also has not signed Shea Theodore as of yet.  With the new season on the horizon, is this going to be an ongoing issue like Athanasiou last season, or will Vegas get the job done.  Mike feels like the Knights will not sign him and need to deal him, with Chris believing that a deal will get done.  Where do you feel this will end?

Emerson Etem, the 2010 first round draft pick of the Anaheim Ducks, is back in the NHL.  He has received a PTO (professional try out) from the L.A. Kings.  The expectations were high when he was drafted, but what can we expect from the 26-year-old at this point in his career?  Top line is probably a reach, but could he still be a 3^rdline player?

Arizona may not be the cream of the crop in the NHL stats wise, but when it comes to the youth hockey in the state, they are without equal.  The development of youth hockey in the state of Arizona has been a boon to the masses.  A story by Craig Morgan lists the impressive stats regarding the growth of youth hockey in the area.  This may not mean a cup in their immediate future, but the Coyotes are doing what they can to help young players work towards their dreams of playing in the NHL.

Speaking of dreams, the New York Rangers appear to be heading into a difficult season, but Nicholas Zararis has written an article that explains the lone scenario in which they could make the playoffs.  We believe this is a stretch at best, but we invite you to tell us why we may be wrong.

We touch on the Vegas odds for total points for the NHL teams this upcoming season, and there are a few predictions that leave us scratching our heads.

Bruce Cassidy believes that Zdeno Chara can play for the next 4 or 5 years.  Wonderful sentiment, but does he want to play?  Can he play at the same level he has played at his whole career?  The Forecheckers discuss.

Finally, we introduce the next Twitter poll question…which Western Conference team will drop 5 points this upcoming season.

And here it is, the latest edition of the Forecheck.  Give us a listen and let us know what you think!  Enjoy the show!

Episode 0081: NHL Network Top 20 Defensemen, Roenick's Top 10 Centers, Tokarski is Back, Kronwall May Be Done, Devils Sign No. 17, Our Twitter Poll and Much More!

With NHL Rookie camps and Training camps on the horizon, hockey is suddenly in our foreseeable future! Hold on everyone…the finish line is almost upon us.

This week’s show is chock full of tidbits, but actual storylines are still hard to come by so here we present the best of what is available.

Niklas Kronwall at age 37 has stated that this season could very well be his last in the NHL.  My concern is that when a player makes a statement like this he or she may already be retired in their own mind.  He has won a Stanley Cup and 12 of his 14 years ended in the playoffs.  He has had a solid NHL career with the same organization.

Dustin Tokarski, the goaltender that made a name for himself in the 2014 Eastern Conference Finals for the Montreal Canadiens has been given another crack at an NHL position with his signing of a one-year contract with the New York Rangers.  He will be competing for the backup job behind the King, so we wish him well.  Experience wise he is the leader in the clubhouse, but Mazanec and Georgiev may have something to say about it when all is said and done.

Jeremy Roenick tweeted out his top ten centers in the league, and overall the list is good, but there are some names that may be out of position.  You’ll have to give us a listen and tell us what you think or if there is someone you would have liked to see on the list.

The Forecheckers had their own poll out there on Twitter, and the results were puzzling at best! Which team would improve by 7 or more points this season over last season.  There were 4 choices, the Leafs, the Islanders, the Panthers and the Blue Jackets.  Fifty-eight percent of you said the Leafs had the best chance, but at 105 points last season, they would need a herculean effort to get to 112.  The lowest percentage was the Islanders, at just 8%. Here the team would only need a few more wins and a few less losses, the obvious choice.  Let us know.

The Devils signed their first-round pick, defenseman Ty Smith to a 3-year entry level deal. Congrats to the youngster as he had a solid season in the WHL last season and showed that he should at least be given a chance.

Finally, we come to the NHL Network’s list of the top 20 defensemen in the league.  To say that this was funny to read may be an understatement as we took umbrage with many choices.  Should Hamilton be in the top 20?  Charlie McAvoy?  He has only been around for one full season.  Give us a listen and tell us who you believe should be on this list.  Perhaps you agree…tell us why!

Thanks for all the listening you do and let us know if there is anything you want to hear or just rant at us for our opinions.  Enjoy the show!